I officially do not like house hunting. For 3 1/2 years I have looked at houses online and I usually enjoy it. Now that I'm actually serious about house hunting I hate it! We have our plane tickets and we are headed back to the US for good on August 1st - and we are homeless. I spend way too much time lately on the internet looking at houses, looking at neighborhoods, reading about schools. We know where we don't want to live, I know what school district I would prefer and I know which school district is a NO WAY. I thought I found the perfect new community - we could build a house and start brand new. Of course I then find out the lots are small. If I wanted to borrow a cup of sugar from my neighbors I could practically reach through the kitchen window in to their kitchen window to do it. So, do I want to spend money on a HOUSE or do I want to spend money on land. I could get a house for the same price - but 1/2 the size on a lot 2x as big.
Something like this - 2400 sq ft house on almost an acre - with a pool.
Notice you can't really see the neighbors house?
Or the brand new house - that is 4,000 sq ft:
you can see how close the houses are from the backyard view:
Ugh it is just such a pain. What do we REALLY want? Do I want the BEST school district (new house) or the 2nd best (the other house which was built in 1990). Do I want to start from scratch or move right in? Maybe we'll just stay here.
9 comments:
Now there's a grim thought! No, come back and hunt. You'll find something. After all right now it's a buyers market!
Goodluck with the repatriation. I know it is so hard to find a house you really want.
You can always add on to a home, but you rarely are ever allowed more land. We are going to build by my parents and from what they are going through it seems like a pain, but when we are done we have an acre and a half with Stosh and my folks as our closest neighbors. I hope that you find something with a bit more land and in your range. But the older home has a pool and that is a bonus. I just cannot imagine living so close to someone, but for others they enjoy it. I just don't want to freak out someone looking in my window when I am running half naked from the bathroom to the bedroom! I mean good grief it freaks me out that's why we don't have full length mirrors!!!
It is sometimes difficult to figure it all out, but exciting too. I hope you find the perfect house for you and your family - I wish you luck!
Nice to see you today - hope to see you again soon - Kellan
here in cali, you know there isn't much of a choice in how close you are to your neighbors lol UNLESS you can afford to build a cpl millions dollar home on some land. we weren't that close to our neighbors in our old house, and had a YARD, but 3 bedrooms is not enough room for a family of 6 (now 5 since son moved back to vegas a yr ago). we moved 20 mins into a new community/town...nothing really around unless you go into the next city. only a little over 2100 sq ft that cost us over half a mil...but now they are selling homes for 100, 000 less w more square footage. one of the best things about where i live now?.....the kids go to one of the top 10 schools in our county. can we reach out and touch someone...yep lol
I would go with the older house on more land, but it depends on how much you like being outside! Also, moving right in would be a bonus - no waiting on builders and closing inspections and all that. BUT, I can also see how it would be nice to live in the best school district, and in a new house with no old problems. It's a tough choice for sure.
Good luck!
I love househunting, its the choosing that is the pain! I like looking!
Good luck!
I agree with Cricket: big lots allow for big additions, but you can't add onto a tiny yard. And a pool sounds like a must have in Arizona...
TAKE ME WITH YOU lol
x
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